HUNDREDS of York residents will get the chance to have to look at the newly-renovated Jorvik Centre with actor Tony Robinson.

The Time Team and Blackadder star will launch the 25th annual Jorvik Viking Festival and join 400 lucky locals on tours of the centre on February 12, before it officially re-opens to the public the next day.

Sarah Maltby, York Archaeological Trust director of attractions, said: “The Viking Centre will be closed during the 2010 Residents First Weekend, so we want to give as many York residents as possible the chance to have a preview of the refurbished centre before it opens.”

The £1 million refurbishment, which has been under way since October, has added a number of new developments. These include a reconstruction of the original Coppergate excavation, plus Viking artefacts that have never been seen by the public before.

New animatronics, installations and voiceovers will bring to life the tour of Viking Age York.

Viking interactor Tom “Thorstein” Gray said: “The renovation looks great, and the new figures are more lifelike. There’s much more to see now.”

A new open gallery will show the remains of Viking houses.

The special preview will also welcome the York Young Archaeologists Club and local schools and business groups.

The trust’s two other city centre attractions – the archaeological adventure DIG! and the Barley Hall medieval townhouse – will be open as usual on Residents First weekend with free entry for York residents. Visitors to Barley Hall will be among the first to experience the new Stonegate Voices exhibition.

To be in with the chance to be among the first to tour the revamped Jorvik Centre, phone 01904 615505.

Tickets will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.